Introduction: “Journey to Europe” is a thought-provoking escape game that simulates the challenging journey migrants often face as they seek a new life in Europe. This educational escape room aims to raise awareness about migration, its challenges, and the personal experiences that shape it. The game is designed to help players understand the difficult choices migrants make, explore their motivations, and promote empathy and intercultural understanding. As players move through different stages of the migration journey, they will work together to solve puzzles and fill in the passport of a fictional migrant.
Objective: The game is divided into five rooms or corners, each representing a critical stage in the migration process. Players must work collaboratively to solve puzzles and collect information, which will eventually complete the passport of the migrant. Each room challenges players to think critically about the realities migrants face, from leaving their home country to finding work and integrating into a new community.
Rooms/Corners Overview:
Corner 1: The Departure
This room represents the emotional and difficult decision migrants face when they leave their home country. The game begins with a page from a personal diary that describes the motivations behind this life-changing decision. Players will solve puzzles related to the diary to determine the migrant’s destination. This task highlights the hardships of leaving behind one’s home and family.
Corner 2: The Customs Clearance
Once the migrant arrives in the new country, they must go through customs clearance, a process fraught with bureaucracy and challenges. This stage introduces players to migration laws and regulations in a hypothetical customs checkpoint. They will answer questions about migration policies and procedures to uncover the date of birth of the migrant, which will later be used to complete the passport.
Corner 3: New Cultures
In this room, players simulate the experience of adjusting to a new culture. This is often one of the hardest parts of migration, as migrants must learn about the local customs, language, and traditions. Players will solve a crossword puzzle based on cultural terms and facts related to the new country. The final solution will reveal the name of the migrant’s city destination.
Corner 4: The Employment
Employment is a critical aspect of integration, as it provides financial stability and social recognition. In this corner, players will face a series of job interview scenarios that test their problem-solving skills and logic. By solving the riddles correctly, players will help the migrant secure a job and learn their name, which will be added to the passport.
Corner 5: The Community
The final stage represents the migrant’s integration into the local community. As they overcome cultural and language barriers, migrants begin to build new relationships and become part of a new social context. Players will solve a cube puzzle that symbolizes the merging of two cultures and use the clues to determine the migrant’s nationality. The final piece of the puzzle is to verify the completed passport using a QR code.
Technology Integration:
QR Codes: Players will scan QR codes to receive additional clues or verify information. This adds an interactive and modern element to the game, making it more immersive.
Interactive Screens: If available, screens can be used to provide explanations of migration laws, show videos, or provide further clues.
Game Setup and Execution:
Room Design:
Set up five rooms or corners (depending on available space) that represent the stages of the migration journey. Decorate each room to reflect the respective theme, such as travel, bureaucracy, culture, work, and community.
Materials:
Prepare the necessary materials for the puzzles in each room, such as diaries, quizzes, crossword puzzles, and logic riddles. Print and arrange them according to the rooms where they will be used.
Test Run:
Before the game begins, test the puzzles and their sequence to ensure they work smoothly and logically.
Briefing:
The game begins with an introduction to the journey of a migrant, given by the master. Players are handed a passport to fill out as they solve puzzles and move through the rooms.
Monitoring:
Throughout the game, the master supervises and provides hints if players get stuck or need assistance. The master ensures that the game runs on schedule and that players remain engaged.
Debriefing:
After completing the game, a debriefing session allows players to reflect on the challenges faced by migrants, discuss what they learned, and gain a deeper understanding of the migration experience.
To summarize, the “Journey to Europe” is not just a game; it is an educational experience that challenges players to think critically about migration and the human stories behind it. By participating in this interactive game, players gain a better understanding of the complexities and hardships migrants face in their journey to a new life in Europe. Through teamwork, problem-solving, and empathy, players will not only complete the game but also come away with a greater appreciation for the importance of integration and cultural exchange.
